Grille guard



Sept. 1, 1953 H. PoNcHr-:R ETAL GRILLE GUARD :Filed sept. 24, 1949 2 Shees-Sheeil 1 NVENTORS l arolc amc/14erV Jerry 8. Pon/chew H. PONCHER ET AL Sept. 1A, 1953 GRILLE GUARD 2 Sheets-Shaml 2 Filed sept. 24 .1949

Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE GRILLE GUARD Harold Poncher and Jerry E. Poncher, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Erie Manufacturing Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application September 24, 1949, Serial No. 117,562

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in grille guards for vehicles having horizontal bumpers supported by arms from the vehicles and vertical bumperettes on the bumpers.

Grille guards as heretofore constructed are usually made to lt only one make of car. This is inconvenient and costly, and necessitates carrying a lar-ge stock of the different guards on hand.

It is an object of this invention to provide a grille guard of universal application to the majority of cars, whereby less cost is involved, less stock has to be carried, and more satisfactory results all around are secured.

Further objects are the provision of a grille guard having, severally, an upright adapted to lit over a bumperette and with its lower arm secured by a brace plate to any conveniently adjacent bumper support; an upright ntting over a bumperette with its lower horizontal arm or end connected by a brace plate and hanger with any conveniently located bumper-supporting arm; an upright adapted to nt over a bumperette and to be secured thereto at the upper and lower ends thereof even though the bumperette may vary in height, size, and form; and, in general, an upright of substantially universal application to cars having bumperettes.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description and the claims to follow, in connection with the accompanying drawing in which an embodiment of the invention is depicted, by way of example but not of limitation, and in which drawing- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the grille guard and attachment plate as usually installed, the front end of portions of an automobile including bumper and bumperettes being indicated in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, portions of the bumper and its supports of a car being in broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a guard upright as installed, parts of bumper and its supports and a bumperette being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the lower end of a guard upright, inverted U-bolt and brace plate;

Fig. 5 is a cross section of one of the uprights near the upper end taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is another cross section of the same at the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of the guard uprights and showing in full and broken lines various positions the brace plate may take at the lower end of the upright in applying the guard to various makes of cars; and

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of the said brace plate alone.

Referring in detail to these drawings, the guard as usually installed comprises the two uprights ID and the cross bar II. Most cars are equipped with bumpers I2 and so-called bumperettes I3, usually two in number. The latter are attached to the bumper and usually project above and below the same. They are of strong sheet metal ofl channel cross section, with their vertical edges slightly notched and formed to t and rest against the front face of the bumper, to which they are secured in any desired and well-known lway.

The uprights I0 of this invention are made to nt over these bumperettes from the front and suitably to be secured thereto or thereon. These uprights are of strong sheet metal pressed into channel form with an outwardly bowed cross section and are bent at their lower ends into horizontal end portions or arms I4 extending back underneath the bumper and associated parts including a bumper I2, as later explained. In their vertical body portion they are preferably of the channel cross section shown in Fig. 6, presenting a pleasing exterior and a width to t or accommodate most any bumperette I3. A V-shaped cross piece I5, Figs. 3 and 6, may be welded at its ends in the upright adjacent the tcp of the bumperette I3 against which the bumperette securely presses when the upright is placed thereover and is secured in place. Owing to the wedge or V-bend in this cross piece, the upright centers itself laterally on the bumperette regardless of the width or curve of the latter, to eliminate lateral play when the upright is secured thereto. This cross piece is made wide vertically to accommodate different heights of bumperettes.

To secure the upper end of the upright I0 to the bumperette I3, a cylindrical top clamp I6, Fig. 3, having a depending notched lug I'I, to engage the top lip of the bumperette, is carried on cap screw I3 which lwhen tightened clamps the upright to the bumperette.

The upper part I9 of the upright ID is preferably compresed into circular neck form, seenwin section in Fig. 5, with its edges separated sunlciently to form a vertical slot in the neck. Within this neck I9 Iof the upright is a reinforcing tubular section 20 closely fitting but slidable longitudinally inside the neck. This section may consist of a plate bent into substantially 3 complete tubular form, as indicated in Fig. 5, with its solid part across the said slot. The top clamping screw I8 may be tapped into this reinforcing sleeve or plate 20 through the slot and thus securely clamp the upright to the upper end of the bumperette.

Since the bumperettes vary in height in different cars, this inner section zIlfisfmadeeslidable for a limited distancein the neck.; |19 of-.theupright, and it is also provided with a plurality of tapped holes 2I Fig. 2, in vertical alignment and visible through the slot, so that the clamping screw may be threaded into, say, the lowerhole and the slide be shifted upand-:downithefneck so that any height of bumperetteecambe:suitably l engaged by the clamp I6. The otherihoies 2| of the slide, as will be explained, are.utilizedior securing the end of the crossbar'l I of 'the guard.

The upper end of the upright is adorned :by a hollow ball cover 22 of suitable proportions and ,which may. be press-fitted. -over ythe upper `rnd `of the neck t9 which firmly .secures .it in -place ,thereon butpermitsits removalzin theshop with suitable tools if desired. The upright Ivis secured infyplace. on the bilmperette .at .the lower end by an. inside clamping.vplate.23.por. barbearing. loosely atits innen-end on .the insidecurvedcorners .of the rarm Mrand at its forward .turned-down: end .24 ,engaging-over. theilower. lip. of. the bumperette .1.3,.as shown,.o1;.in.some.cars,on the lowerlip of the bumper. itself. ,This clampngtplate, is. pro- .vided lwith .a plurality `of .bolt .holes 25 (Fig. .2) -through one .of which A,the bolt :26 .is passed, tthe head-of V.the ^bolt lwith alheavfy .andlong washer being Iseated .in ,an angularly .oored depression 21 in the wall of arm I4 of the upright. .Awsuit- `able plain .washer,.lock-washer andmut thread on jthe -bolt I.2.6 .to. c1amp \the .plate 23 .A rmlly .in vplace and thereby solidly c1amp.,th,e .upright to the bumperette. .Theseveral-,holes infthev clamping jaw-.or plate23 rand its freereanendfaslwell asthe:inclined-.bolt and depression .21 with.an inclinedseat or .door `for ...the .bolt .head .and A.its largebearing washerinthe-.wall of ,thehorizontal-,end or -arm IA of fthe..upr ight,..all` combine .to Yenable a suitable clamp.tobemade-.forthelower en d of .the .upright ,I .to the .bumperette .and .bumper construction regardless of the i. particular relationship or .posi.tion.y or .form-.of .theadjacent parts.

. As l.thus constructed ,and secured .in .,plaee, .a ,force fexerted .at `A.the .top l.ppi-tion of the upright .towardthe rear. .of .the.,c,ar .Wouldause .thesame to tend 'to .move `or rotate about `the bumper .as

a Iulcrum. `..This tendency is lresistrl by ithe strong bracing ,plate..2.8.shown.sep.arately in Eig. 8. 'zrhisplatel is securely andifirmlyronnected .at tsinnerend .to .an overhead^ burnnerfsunport- .ingarm 29 .by.a.siiitable inverted .U eboltiill, .the y legs 1 off l.whichstraddle the .arm l and` .are secured thereto by a metal strap 3| connectingthellegs .beneath .thearms and clampedtheretolhya,suitable ,plain washer,..lockwasher.andthreaded nut vcombination .'32 on .each ,leg .Thellower ends .inthe end ofvbrace .plateland arefrmly secured thereto `by .suitable .washenlock .washer and .threaded nut .combinations ,above -andlbelow theplate. ,'Ihepther-endpf this braceplatel underlaps ,the vendnof .the-horizontal armi# `of i" the upright `and .is .rmly-Secured thereto by a suitable-screw bolt.3.4. The result .that --,any .tendencyicr movement of .the ,-uprightabout .the bumper as .ha fulcrum '.isstrongly resisted-by.the .brace plate 28 ,and hangerfa.

But the supporting arms of the bumpers are not all alike in the Various makes of cars, do not extend forwardly at the same angle, and are not located the same relatively to the bumperettes; and they are not all at the same height relatively to the bumper and bumperettes and not of the same widths o1' vertical depths.

Thebolt. 3kconnectionf between'the brace plate 128and arm I4 o'f'the upright .I0 permits the approach of the brace plate to the arm from any -horizontal direction apt to be encountered in such .devices This is indicated in Fig. 7, where thebase plate 28 is indicated by dotted lines as fcoming tofthe boltfconnection 34 from different '.fpositionss or.:s1ipports on both sides of the arm, 4'the'straightilineaposition of the plate with reference ,to thearm being shown in full lines.

'The legs of the U-bolt 30 are threaded nearly throughout their lengths to accommodate different widths of bumper-supporting arms such as 2B, .thestrap .plate WSI being positionable ,at v.the lower fedge thereof andfclampablejrmly there- -against by-thenuts-.on the bolt-legsnegardless of the depthor widthv of thefarm.

Likewise, these threaded-legs of .the hanger. 30 allow for variations of height betweenaf-supporting arm, suchf-as29,. and the horizontalvarm-M of thev upright I0 since the: bracing Eplate .2 8. mayv be threadably secured at any desired Vertical height along-saidflegs.

The Ilegs of Ythe U1-bolt are preferably fspaeed apart more than the-,thiokness-of r.the bumpersupporting arm, suche as .219, which ,permits said arm to pass betweenthem atmore-.or lesspfan angle from eithery side and .thus-.makes therhanger readily 4adaptable -to bumper lsupportsextending at ldifferent angles to the 1bumpers Moreover, this -Wide spread of ;the. legs permits a v.less sharp bendin the rod xforming the L1-bolt, which .is easier to make and less .liable 7to 'breakage .than a sharp bend,-and 'which givesroom-between .the legs for the vWasher and'nut combinations. on-each leg and their `operation -by wrenchesor other.- wise.

The location-of the holes 33fdi-agonally^ across the end 'of rbracegplater 28,;Fig. Y8,-also-gives'room for the spaced U -bolt legs withoutundulylwidening the plate 28, thus savingfmetalfandffavoiding cumbrous -construction, and ;places the jplane of the U-legs-at anA angle,mostesuitablefor:themassage'pf-variously curved or positioned )bumpersupporting arms.

If perchance the :bumper-supporting arms ',extend at such an anglegrelative toithe bumperthat the U-boltcannot readilyY-bejplaced astridezthe same and Vmake rthe desired .connection 4iof *the brace plate with the.I arm1offthe Aupright;thezsoid brace platejZ-B may-be turned.ovenwhich-would then shift the U-bolt to an angle thatzwill borsat- .isfactory Infact, asimilar situation-occursin the usual installation whereftherbracejplate-.does not extend back directly inlinewiththefarm .t4 of vthe upright, asshown -more clearlyinFigs. 1 and 2, ysincethe bumper-supporting armslatzthe two ends of Ythe bumper extend fat A, opposite .angies. In such case the .brace lplate is merely turned over at one side from .that at .therother side 5 and .the 1U -.bolts .in .each are ,properly ,positioned toengage the respectivebumperfsupporting arms. Thus, but one form of bracingplate answers for all .purposes .and ,saves troublend reduces costs of makingassembling, handling, and merchandising.

vWhen ,the two .uprights 'IU are installed :Ona

f75 car, .theyare connectedadjacentthe,tops bythe cross bar Il, which preferably is of cylindrical tubing consisting of a central section 35 having a central forward V-bend and inside adjustable telescoping end sections 36. The outer ends of these end sections are flattened, as at 31, and are firmly bolted by screw bolts 38 to the upper ends of the uprights beneath the balls 22. The screw bolts 38 thread into the uppermost available hole 2| in the sliding reinforcing tubes 20 (Fig. 5) within the necks I9 of the uprights and visible through the slot in lthe neck, and when tightened, clamp the parts all rigidly together. When the end sections 36 are so secured in position, the central section 35 may be adjusted lengthwise so that the ends are equidistant from the uprights and so that the V is in the extreme forward position, and then the set screws 39, Fig. 2, in and adjacent the ends of the central section and bearing on the end sections are tightened to ensure holding the sections properly together.

As thus constructed and installed, with the uprights l0 over the bumperettes and clamped thereto, the U-bolts and brace plates in position and clamped to the arms I4 of the uprights, and

Ithe cross bar Il in place and the whole tightthat is, there are no rights and lefts, so that the manufacturing costs are reduced and the one device will t on the majority of cars, which is an important advantage, particularly in merchandising, since an accessory store, for example, does not have to stock up for individual cars but only for the whole group. Such devices are sold largely as accessories, and when disassembled may be packaged with a sheet of installing instructions in small compass and handled as an over-the-counter product.

It is appreciated that various changes and alterations may be made therein without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as set forth or intended to be set forth herein and in the appended claims, but what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A universal grille guard for vehicles having variously positioned supports and bumpers and vertical bumperettes mounted on the bumpers, comprising a pair of guard uprights and a cross bar to connect their upper ends, each uprightl having a body portion channel-like in cross sec-v tion adapted to be placed over the front of a bumperette, said upright extending above the bumperette at its upper end and being bent at its lower end to extend rearwardly and horizontally below the bumperette and bumper, clamping means to clamp the upright and bumperette together, a brace plate pivotally connected with the lower end of the upright and forming an extension thereof, an inverted U-bolt hanger adapted to be placed astride an adjacent support on the vehicle, said U-bolt having parallel legs spaced wider apart than the thickness of the supporting arm, said brace plate having apertures adjacent one end through which said legs are adapted to pass to secure the U-bolt and plate together, said apertures being diagonally arranged across the plate to receive the said widely spaced legs, the other end of said plate and the bent end of the upright overlapping, and clamping means to secure said ends together in any longitudinal angular relation, the said plate being reversible for use either side up to enable the U-bolt to be affixed to supports at different angles to the bumpers and to said lower ends of the uprights.

2. A grille guard upright for vehicles having horizontal bumpers and vertical bumperettes mounted on the bumpers, comprising a body portion channel-like in cross section adapted to be placed over the front of a bumperette, said upright extending abovethe bumperette at its upper end and being bent at its lower end to extend rearwardly and horizontally below the bumperette and bumper, a clamp to clamp the upright to the upper end of the bumperette, -a clamp to clamp the upright at the lower end of the bumperette, a brace plate pivoted at one end to the said lower end of the upright and forming an extension thereof at any desired angle, hanger means firmly to connect the free end of said brace plate with any available support on the vehicle within the range of the arcuate movement of said free end of the plate, and means for rmly connecting the pivoted end of said brace plate with the rearwardly extending horizontal end of said upright at any angle thereto required by the relative positions of the said hanger and horizontal end.

3. A grille guard upright for vehicles having horizontal bumpers and vertical bumperettes mounted on the bumpers, comprising a body portion channel-like in cross section adapted to be placed over the front of a bumperette, said upright having a cylindrical neck portion with a vertical slot therein opening rearwardly above the body portion, a reinforcing member in said neck portion fitting the inside surface of the neck and overlapping said slot and slidable to different vertical positions in said neck portion, a clamping screw passing through said slot in the neck and threading into said slidable member, a bumperette engaging member on said screw to clamp the upright to the bumperette, and means for securing the lower end of the upright to the bumperette and bracing it from the vehicle.

4. A guard upright having a channel-like body adapted to fit over a bumperette on a vehicle and to extend above the same and having its lower end curved and extending horizontally under the bumperette, bumper and associated parts, variably positionable clamping means in the upper part of the upright to engage the upper part of the bumperette and clamp the upright thereto, a clamping plate within the horizontal end of the upright having an end to engage over the lower edge of the bumperette or bumper and its other end bearing on the inside of said horizontal end, said clamping plate having a plurality of holes intermediate the ends, a clamping bolt passing through one of said holes and through the wall of the said horizontal end to clamp the plate in position and the upright to the bumperette, the said wall of the upright having a depression therein forming an angular seat for the head of the said clamping bolt, and a brace plate and hanger means to connect the inner end of said horizontal end to a support above.

5. A grille guard for vehicles having horizontal bumpers and vertical bumperettes mounted on the bumpers, comprising a pair of guard uprights and a cross bar to connect their upper ends, each 'il upright. havingA a, portion channel-like in crosszsection adapted to; be placed over the front of. a bumperette, the walls; ofv the body: portion merging upwardly-into` a slotted cylindrical neclr portion, an enlarged hollow head at theV top ofthe noch portion, a circular-reinforcing member fitting the inside of saidnecl: portion and slidably adjustable therealong, saidy member having aseries ofI tapped holes inline with the slot in the neck,` aclamp for engaging the upper endof" thebumperette, a` threaded clamping bolt therefor adapted. to thread into one of said tapped holes insaid reinforcing member, a threaded bolt through-the end of thev cross bar adapted to thread intofanother of said tapped holes inthe reinforcing member below'said head and above the. said clamping bolt, whereby the guard may be applied to bumperettesof variable. heights and: the cross bar be-'properly located with rei--Y erenceto the heads of the uprights, clamping means for securing the lower end of the upright to. the bumperette, and bracing means for attaching the'upright to a support on thefvehicle.

6'. A grille guard upright for vehicles having horizontal bumpers and vertical bumperettes mounted on the-bumpers, comprising a body portion-,channel-likein cross section adaptedv to be placedover the front. of a bumperette, a. V- shaped cross plate of substantial vertical width secured inside the-upper part'of the body portion to engage and center the upper part of the uprightv on the bumperette, clamps to secure the upright to the bumperette, and bracing meansto secure the lower; end of the upright to a support.

'7. A universal grille, guard for vehicles having horizontalA bumpers; and vertical bumperettes mounted on the.l bumpers, comprising a pair of guard uprights and a cross bar to connect their upper ends, each upright having a body portion channel-like in cross section adapted. to be placed over the front ofi a bumperette, said. up-V right extending abo-ve the bumperette-at its upper end and being bent at its lower endl to eX- tend rearwardly and horizontally below the bumperette and bumper, clamping means to. clamp the upright and bumperette together, an elongated brace plate connected at one end tosaid lower end of the upright and forming an extension of-l saidr lower end, said plate being swingable about; said` connection with said lower end to adjustably position its other end adjacent aparticular support on the vehicle, meansfor rigidly clamping said plate to. said lower endinany such adjusted position, and means-for. rmly connecting saidfother end of said.v plate tothesaid support.

8. A universal grille guard for vehicles hav.- ing horizontal bumpers and vertical bumperettes mounted on the bumpers, comprising a. pair of guardfuprightsf and a cross bar to connect their. upper ends, each upright. having a body portion channel-like in cross-section adapted to bezplaced over' the Vfront ofY a bumperette, said upright extending above the bumperetteat its upperend andabeing b ent4 atv its lower end to. extend' rear-v wardlyV and horizontally below the bumperette and bumper, clamping means to clamp the upf. right and bumperettetogether, an elongated brace 'plate'pivotedat'one end to said lower end of the upright andi'orming an extensionof'sa-id lower end, said plate being adjustable about said pivot suitably to locate its freeendfunder a particular support on the vehicle, means for'rigidlyl clamping said platetosaid lower end in any such' adjusted position, and: hanger means for rmly connecting said other end of said plate tosaid support above.,

9. A universal grille guard, for vehicles having;

, horizontal bumpers? and vertical bumperettes mounted on the bumpers, comprising a pair of guard-'uprights and a cross bar to connect their upper ends, each upright having a body portionchannel-like in cross section adapted to be placed i over the front of. a: bumperette, said upright exi right and bumperette together, an elongated brace plate connected atV one end to said lower. end of the' upright and formingv an extension of said lower end, said plate being swingable about said connection with said lower end to adjustablyf position its other end adjacent a particular supl threaded, a strap plate onv saidlegs beneath the support, nuts on said. legs to clamp said strap against the support firmly to clamp the U-bolt tosaid support, said legs below the strap passing through aperturesv in and adjacent the free end.

of said brace plate, and. nuts on said legs above. and below said plate to clamp the same to` the U-bolt at any desired height withintheir limits` to, accommodate the said. plate.

HAROLD PONCHER. JERRY E. PONCHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,536,234 Sklarek Jan. 2, 1951 2,580,775- Helms et al Jan. 1, 1952 

